Built on Craft. Driven by People.

Butte Construction is a Chico-based general contractor built on old-school craftsmanship, modern professionalism, and a genuine commitment to the people and places we build for. We're experts at what we do, and we're good people to do it with.

Four Generations. One Standard.

In 1938, Jack Starnes started a roofing and insulation company out of Chico. He wasn’t trying to build a legacy. He was just trying to do good work. He did. And then his kids did. And then their kids did.

black and white photo of a contructions site with a team of worker digging a foundation with hand tools and wheel barrows with a Ford model T and an old steam roller parked in the background

old black and white photo of the front of the the Diamond Match Company's Chico Lumber Yard

black and while photo of a construction crew from the 50s or 60s installing a new roof on a house

1938
Jack Starnes founds Valley Roof and Insulation Co.
1950
Jack partners with his two sons, Ted and Robert, and they rename Valley Roof and Insulation to Butte Roofing Company.
1962
Ted Starnes takes over Butte Roofing after Jack passes away.
1997
Ted’s son, Mike, takes over ownership after 25 years in the business.
2015
Nick Starnes founds Butte Construction Company
2020
Nick’s Dad, Mike, is ready to retire so Butte Roofing Company makes it to its fourth generation of ownership with Nick taking the reins.
2026
Butte Construction Company invests in a new brand identity inspired by its rich history.

1938
Jack Starnes founds Valley Roof and Insulation Co.
1950
Jack partners with his two sons, Ted and Robert, and they rename Valley Roof and Insulation to Butte Roofing Company.
1962
Ted Starnes takes over Butte Roofing after Jack passes away.
1997
Ted’s son, Mike, takes over ownership after 25 years in the business.
2015
Nick Starnes founds Butte Construction Company
2020
Nick’s Dad, Mike, is ready to retire so Butte Roofing Company makes it to its fourth generation of ownership with Nick taking the reins.
2026
Butte Construction Company invests in a new brand identity inspired by its rich history.

1938
Jack Starnes founds Valley Roof and Insulation Co.
1950
Jack partners with his two sons, Ted and Robert, and they rename Valley Roof and Insulation to Butte Roofing Company.
1962
Ted Starnes takes over Butte Roofing after Jack passes away.
1997
Ted’s son, Mike, takes over ownership after 25 years in the business.
2015
Nick Starnes founds Butte Construction Company
2020
Nick’s Dad, Mike, is ready to retire so Butte Roofing Company makes it to its fourth generation of ownership with Nick taking the reins.
2026
Butte Construction Company invests in a new brand identity inspired by its rich history.

Human Problems in the Construction Industry

Candid photo of Butte Contruction Company founder Nick Starnes sitting at a conference table during a meeting

"Imagination, creativity, and listening aren't words you typically hear from a general contractor. We think that's exactly why they matter."

Nick Starnes

Founder & Owner

Nick wasn't the kid who dreamed of building things. What pulls him in are complex problems that need energy to come unstuck — and when you look closely, most problems in construction are human problems.

From Chico to the Bay Area and back

After studying Construction Management at Chico State, Nick spent years in the Bay Area running large public works projects. The technical education was real. But the relationships were transactional — one job, then gone.

Coming home to start a family meant coming home to a different kind of business — one where relationships are measured in years, not contracts.

Distill, Don't Copy

When Nick founded Butte Construction, the goal was to distill everything he'd watched work and fail, and build something genuinely better from it.

We exist to empower people and give them opportunities that stretch them — clients and employees alike. When we find the right people, the ones who share our values and are willing to work hard, we link arms.

That's what we were built on. That's what we keep building on.

— Nick Starnes, Founder

Good Work Starts With Good People

Butte Construction is only as good as the people who show up every day. That’s why we’ve built a team of experienced superintendents, project managers, and tradespeople who don’t just know what they’re doing, they care about doing it well. These are the people you’ll actually work with. And we think you’re going to like them.

Relationship-based

Projects are built on people, not paperwork.

Hard work

No substitute, no shortcut.

Growth minded

Always trying to be better than today.

Can-do attitude

Show up ready to solve it.

Our values cut both ways. We hold ourselves to them, and we look for them in the clients we partner with.

Field Team

Dewey Engle

Superintendent

Ray Stowie

Superintendent

Josef Madamba

Project Engineer

Micah Roberts

Foreman

Humberto Aneda

Assistant Superintendent

AJ Buss

Assistant Superintendent

Office Team

Wendy Tuato'o

Project Manager

Shelby Bryan

Project Manager

Nick Carney

Estimator

Brayden Arnovick

Junior Estimator

Isabel Ortiz

HR Assistant Manager

Aura Aragon

Compliance Specialist

Leadership Team

Nick Starnes

Owner & Visionary

Sierra Brodleit

Chief Operating Officer

Kason Strickland

Controller

Celina Layton

Human Resources Director

Our Proven Process

Meet & Chat

Let’s grab coffee and talk through your vision. We ask the right questions to understand your project - and make sure we're the right fit for each other. Come as you are: ideas in your head, a napkin sketch, or full concepts.

Advise & Design

What's your timeline? Your budget? Your vision? Based on your goals, we’ll recommend the best path forward - then bring your project to life on paper. Drawings, permits, scheduling: we handle it all before a single shovel breaks ground.

Develop & Build

We take the wheel. Daily on-site supervision, seamless coordination with architects and subcontractors, and proactive navigation of permits and regulatory requirements - we manage every detail so you don't have to.

Do It Again

Our favorite clients are the ones who come back. We build more than structures - we build relationships. When your next project comes around, we'll be ready. That's the standard we hold ourselves to every single time.